Dialectical Trait in Linguistic Theory of Jewish Kabbalah: A Theological Interpretation of Gershom Scholem's Linguistic Philosophy

Scholem's linguistic philosophy is based on the context of mystical linguistic theory of Jewish Kabbalah, revealing its explicit dimension of linguistic theology. Jewish Kabbalah exerts its impact on and thus forms the depth and width of inner development of Judaism. It demonstrates the implicit and marginalized mystical linguistic theory in the long-standing Jewish tradition. Scholem asserts that in language, creation reveals its power which is rooted in the divine names mediated by symbolism. The name of God embedded in such symbolism highlights the dialectical trait in linguistic theory of Jewish Kabbalah. In this Kabbalistic perspective, the dialectical trait of Jewish mystical linguistics oscillates between appropriacy and negation, continuity and discontinuity, forming the name of God in its totality, which needs to be outlined by human language and yet beyond its capacity. As a dialectical response to the exterior real world, in the framework of Kabbalistic language theory, the dialectically spiritual world constructed by Scholem's linguistic theory of Kabbalah is brimmed with conspicuously critical dimension within.